I Love You Anyway: The Notebook (2004)

Romantic Moment #11

The Notebook (2004)

So as I told you all last year when I chose A Walk to Remember to include on my Valentine’s Day Romantic Moments list, that I am not a big Nicholas Sparks fan. In fact the only book/movie that I like (actually Love) is A Walk to Remember.  I’ve never been interested in his other works, and I actually hate  the Notebook. Even though I adore Rachel McAdams and think she is a fantastic actress, I dislike it, A LOT. So why am I including it on this list? You’ll have to read on to find out.

So onwards. The movie begins at a nursing home where an elderly man is reading a romantic story from his notebook to a woman.

The story is set in June of 1940 in South Carolina. A country boy, Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling), has fallen for a heiress Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams). The two spend the summer together, with Noah taking Allie to an abanded house and promising to buy and redo for her. Allie’s parents don’t like Noah and forbid her to see him. The two break up and her family returns to Charleston.

Noah enlists in  World War II and Allie becomes a nurse. At the hospital Allie meets Lon Hammond, Jr. (James Marsden), a handsome, kind, lawyer who is also from Old Money. They date and become engaged.

Meanwhile, Noah has returned from the war and buys the abandoned house, redoing it for Allie. He had seen her in Charleston with Lon, and has convinced himself that by fixing the house he will win her and her love. Allie sees an article about his completed renovation in the newspaper and visits him.

In the present, we are shown that the woman is Allie who suffers from  dementia and her husband is the man reading her their story, but sadly, Allie doesn’t recognize him.

Back in the ’40s, even though she is engaged Allie resumes her relationship with Noah. Allie’s mom comes by and gives her a talking to, telling her Lon has come as well. Allie talks to Lon telling him what happened and Lon, while unhappy, tells her that he loves her and wants to be with her still. Allie is still unsure who she wants.

Back in present day, Allie regains her memory and we see that the man she is with is Noah. She left Lon and her and Noah were married. Allie tells Noah to continue reading the notebook, as it will always bring her back. Allie then relapses, panicking as she does not recognize who is hugging her.  That same night Noah is hospitalised. After he is released from the hospital, Noah goes to Allie’s room and finds her lucid. After telling each other that they love one another, they both go to sleep in Allie’s bed. The next morning, a nurse finds them dead in each other’s arms.

Most Romantic Moment:

So I know that many of you may not agree with my choice of a romantic moment, and that is fine with me. This my blog, and I put what I want on it and I know not everyone will agree with me or like what I post and I’m okay with that.

So the moment I find most romantic is when Lon finds out that Allie cheated on him and still wants to marry her.

I know, I know; not the most conventional moment , but I personally find it extremely romantic. Here is this guy that loves this girl and is prepared to marry her and have a life together, only to find out that she cheated on him with a past boyfriend! Cheated! Now the worst things I believe you could ever do to a person is 1) Lead them on, 2) Lie, and 3) Cheat on them. And out of all of these cheating’s the ultimate treason. She broke his heart, she threw it into the shredder. And how does he respond?

Lon: [to Allie] The way I see it, I got three choices. One, I can shoot him. Two, I can kick the crap out of him. Or three, I leave you. Well, all that’s no good. You see, ’cause none of those options get me you. In spite of everything, I love you.

This girl cheated on him, she broke his heart and he doesn’t get mad or angry, like I would have been. I would have been all kinds of crazy if I found out the person I was engaged to cheated on me. Like Kelly Clarkson in Since You Been Gone or Madea.

But does Lon do this? Does he freak out or scream or get angry? No, no, nope. He tells her he still loves her and wants to continue spending the rest of his life with her. He does nothing but waits for her to decide who she wants. That’s real love. He’s like the guy in “Keep on Loving You“.

I know I’m like the only one, but I totally would have picked Lon.

(Start at 8:17) 

I Don’t Dance or Sing, Except When I’m With You: Enchanted (2007)

Romantic Moment #7

Enchanted (2007)

Well this is the seventh post which means we are halfway done! Yay! This also means only seven days ’til Valentine’s Day, so if you haven’t picked anything up for your loved one, ya might want to start thinking ’bout it.

Enchanted was such an awesome movie. All the characters are really great, the storyline is amazing, the songs are perfection, and all the disney references magical. I love this movie, and am proud to have it be the halfway mark.

So Giselle (Amy Adams) is sent to the real world by the evil queen (Susan Sarandon), who doesn’t want her to marry her stepson, Prince Edward (James Marsden <3), and take her place.

She is found by Robert Phillips (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter who take her in. Robert is a divorce lawyer, (and divorced himself), who doesn’t believe in true love, fairy tales, etc; pretty much anything romantic is nonsense. A super realist.

Robert has been dating his girlfriend Nancy for like five years, and no hint of proposing and he’s never done anything romantic for her.

Robert is the girl in this scenario.

So Nancy misunderstands what is happening between Robert and Giselle; and Giselle tries to patch everything up. She finds out that they are having a King and Queens Ball that weekend, and thinks it will be the perfect present for Nancy. However Robert isn’t really into that.

“Giselle: [singing] Well, does he take you out dancing just so he can hold you close? 
Robert: [speaking] I don’t dance! 
Giselle: Dedicate a song, with words meant just for you? Ooh ooh… 
Robert: [speaking] And I really don’t sing.“

But Giselle sends the tickets off with lovebirds and flowers to Nancy so Robert and Nancy can fix everything and get back together. But things are changing between Giselle and Robert. Robert is starting to relax and realize that he doesn’t need to be serious and bitter all the time. Being with Giselle is changing him, he’s letting down all the walls he created to keep himself from being hurt again.

Giselle is also growing; she is becoming more sure of herself, independent, etc. When Prince Edward finds her and is ready to take her back to Andalasia, she doesn’t quite want to go. She has started to like living in the “real world” rather than the “fairy tale”. She and Edward go on a date, and the last thing she wants to do before going back is the King and Queen’s ball.

Now here is the romantic part. At the ball, they announce a dance that one must do with someone that is not their date. As Prince Edward doesn’t know anyone, he asks Nancy to dance, and then Robert asks Giselle.

He’s dancing with her! He hates to dance, but when the two dance they just gaze at each other in complete adoration. And if that’s not romantic enough, he sings to her. SINGS!

How romantic

You just see in that moment how much they love each other! 😀 You just see how the two being out the best in each other!

Aw!

The only thing I don’t like is Giselle’s dress. I know it is supposed to signify her compete transformation and acceptance of “our world”, but it is not a very good color on her and flattens her out. I love Robert’s outfit though.

They are supposed to be making an Enchanted 2, but it looks like it has been a while since they last updated their info. If interested here’s some info.

To start Romance is in the Air from the beginning, go to Boom Box of Love: Say Anything (1989)

For the previous post, go to I Wouldn’t Change You, Darling: Shrek 2 (2004)

For more on Enchanted, go to According to Disney

For more on Amy Adams, go to I Choose You: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day (2008)

For more on Patrick Dempsey, go to All I Know About Trilogies is That in the Third One, All Bets are Off: Scream 3 (2000)

For more Disney, go to On the 11th Day ‘Til Christmas: The Santa Clause (1994)

For more fairy tales, go to You Should Write A Book

Fulfilling the List: A Walk to Remember (2002)

Romantic Moment #3

A Walk to Remember (2002)

***Spoiler Alert***

So I am not a big Nicholas Sparks fan;

I didn’t like Message in a Bottle, oh don’t get me started on that girl!

I was also not a fan of The Notebook (I totally would have picked James Marsden) and I’ve never been interested in his other works.

I don’t think this really added to the story.

For years people had been trying to get me to watch this movie, and every time I said no.

Even though I love the song Hawk Nelson wrote for the movie, I still wouldn’t watch it.

Tempting but no

Even though I absolutely love Shane West, nope, nope, no.

But that all changed when my friend kept begging me to watch it. I finally gave in and that was one of my best decisions EVER! I loved the movie.

I went on to read the book which I also loved. Those two are one of the sweetest things I have seen/read. It is full of so many romantic moments, it was hard choosing just one.

So the film is about two people, Jamie and Landon. Jamie is one of the popular boys in school, no sorry the popular boy as he is the best looking.

Shane West, oh man are you good-looking.

Sorry, back to the film.

So Landon has been acting up a lot recently, mostly because of his anger at his dad for leaving the family for another woman. He and his friends convince a guy who wants to be a part of their group to do a dive after drinking; causing him to be seriously hurt (while Landon slightly injured); afterwards he gets in trouble and has to do community service/help in the school.

Enter Jamie. Jamie is the minister’s daughter, good in school, loves astronomy, and of course is picked on for being the preacher’s daughter, smart, for the clothes she wears, etc.-you get the idea.

Landon ends up spending a lot of time with her as he finds himself  having to tutor alongside her; as well as star opposite her in a play.

Landon finds being in the play out of his comfort zone, and asks Jamie for help. She agrees but on one condition, he can’t fall in love with her.

Later when Jamie tries to talk to him in front of his friends, he pulls a Danny Zuko and acts like he doesn’t know her. Jamie of course is upset.

So later when he comes to her for help, wanting them to be “secret friends” to protect his reputation she shuts him down.

The time for the play comes and Landon, even though he doesn’t want to admit it, misses having Jamie around. When he sees her performing he is just blown away.

Afterwards, he tries to date her but she still isn’t sure about trusting him. When his friends play a cruel prank on her, he not only defends her against his friends but encourages and supports her.

How romantic

They start dating and fall in love. 🙂 But unfortunately, things do not always stay as happy as we hope. It turns out that Jamie didn’t want Landon to fall in love with her because she has cancer, and no earthly treatment can cure it.

Most Romantic Moment: I Want to Make Your Dreams Come True

So throughout the film, Jamie talks about how she has a list of things she wants to do before she dies. Some are basic and easy, while other much grander. The list is:

1. Get married in the church where her mother and father were married
2. See a miracle
3. Have a star named after her
4. To be in two places at the same time
5. Get a tattoo
6. Befriend someone she doesn’t like
7. Spend a year in the peace corps
8. Make a medical discovery

When Landon had to first do the community school service, she checked off number 6; but since then she hasn’t had the chance to do anything else (and as the later reveal of her pending death it looks like she might never cross everything off).

Aw, man.

But after Landon and Jamie begin dating, he decides that he is going to try to help her check off as many as he possibly can.

He takes her to the state border (#4):

Getting her temporary tattoos (#5) as her dad wouldn’t let her have a real one:

And buying a star, naming it after her (#3):

While all of these are absolutely adorable and really show how Landon has changed and how much he loves her, the best part is when he fulfills #1.

So romantic

So as Jamie is dying with very little time left, Landon asks her to marry him.

I know how romantic is that? He knows how much that means to her, the first thing she ever dreamed of doing was being married in the same church as her mother and father with her father officiating. He knows that out of everything this is her biggest dream, and he helps her fulfill it. What a dream guy!

It’s just so romantic how much he loves her! This made me want my own Landon. Why, why, why- are the best guys fictional?

And to make that moment even more romantic not only did he fulfill her #1 goal, but the other most important on her list; #2

So romantic

Such a great film!  I highly recommend it! I watch it over and over.

To start Romance is in the Air from the beginning, go to Boom Box of Love: Say Anything (1989)

For the previous post, go to You’re My Exception: He’s Just NOT That Into You (2009)

For more on A Walk to Remember, go to Number Two Look Just Like You

For more Nicholas Sparks, go to I Love You Anyway: The Notebook (2004)

For more films based on books, go to Feast Your Eyes On My Accursed Ugliness: The Phantom of the Opera (1925)